SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3690
We just got more evidence that the middle class in America is dying.  According to brand new numbers that were just released by the Social Security Administration, 51 percent of all workers in the United States make less than $30,000 a year.
...
-38 percent of all American workers made less than $20,000 last year.

-51 percent of all American workers made less than $30,000 last year.

-62 percent of all American workers made less than $40,000 last year.

-71 percent of all American workers made less than $50,000 last year.
...
And of course the numbers above are only for those that are actually working.  As I discussed just recently, there are 7.9 million working age Americans that are “officially unemployed” right now and another 94.7 million working age Americans that are considered to be “not in the labor force”.  When you add those two numbers together, you get a grand total of 102.6 million working age Americans that do not have a job right now.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/10/ … -year.html
Oh oh. That's not good.

To make things worse, the price of rent, homes, cars, education and food is higher than ever. Most new jobs are low wages. And the middle class is shrinking.

I don't see how this is economically or politically sustainable. I think we are just one economic crisis in 2016 away from a Donald Trumpet and a right wing congress election sweep.

People will not accept more tax cuts, smaller government, and freer trade. People will want immediate tangible results.

Workers of the world will not unite but instead America will accept stronger police, bigger military, and more Jesus in return for bigger paychecks, cheaper services, price controls and other things. Basically fascism.

Last edited by SuperJail Warden (2015-10-22 12:18:47)

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pirana6
Go Cougs!
+682|6261|Washington St.
are we trending up or down though?

we're coming out of the worst recession since the 80's crash.
SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3690

pirana6 wrote:

are we trending up or down though?
Sideways
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg
Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5329|London, England
But surely Obamacare fixed all the issues with health care pricing.

Surely the federal Reserve fixed the housing cost issue by raising rates and making borrowing more expensive.

Surely the federal government helped fix the college tuition pricing issue by making infinite money available through loans.

Surely commodity prices haven't cratered in the past year due to the Chinese economy crashing.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|6687
middle class isn't middle income.
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DesertFox-
The very model of a modern major general
+794|6655|United States of America
I don't know if I'm reading the information in the OP article and its source correctly, but it sounds like they're including all workers, even part time workers in their numbers, which will undoubtedly drag your average downwards.
Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5329|London, England

DesertFox- wrote:

I don't know if I'm reading the information in the OP article and its source correctly, but it sounds like they're including all workers, even part time workers in their numbers, which will undoubtedly drag your average downwards.
And ignoring dual income families, among other things
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
KEN-JENNINGS
I am all that is MOD!
+2,973|6602|949

It's sad that getting paid over $50K/year puts you in the top 30% of wage earners in the US.
uziq
Member
+492|3423

Cybargs wrote:

middle class isn't middle income.
class has never been tied to income. classically it has been tied to labour and production, as well as property ownership. most european countries do not tie social class to income, moreover. it's considered vulgar. america, however, did run with the idea that your earnings determine your status.

but then they kept stretching and fadging the term 'middle class' so no one's feelings got hurt by too much of that old fashioned, european-style hierarchy. so now everyone considers themselves middle-class and keeps repeating the term like some dumb mantra, even though they make $24,000 a year and their home is owned by a bank and their time by a boss.

Last edited by uziq (2015-10-22 17:35:53)

Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5329|London, England

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

It's sad that getting paid over $50K/year puts you in the top 30% of wage earners in the US.
You have a radically different cost of living compared to people not living on the coast
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
KEN-JENNINGS
I am all that is MOD!
+2,973|6602|949

I completely understand that.  It's still a sad fact.  $50k/year is not a lot of money, even in Cincinnati or Duluth.
Dauntless
Admin
+2,249|6713|London

DesertFox- wrote:

I don't know if I'm reading the information in the OP article and its source correctly, but it sounds like they're including all workers, even part time workers in their numbers, which will undoubtedly drag your average downwards.
Why wouldn't you incluse them? They're still Americans workers?
It's not about the average wage, 51% of workers earn less than $30,000.

In fact if you include all working age Americans it's likely a lot worse than 51% if the numbers are correct

And of course the numbers above are only for those that are actually working.  As I discussed just recently, there are 7.9 million working age Americans that are “officially unemployed” right now and another 94.7 million working age Americans that are considered to be “not in the labor force”.  When you add those two numbers together, you get a grand total of 102.6 million working age Americans that do not have a job right now.
https://imgur.com/kXTNQ8D.png
DesertFox-
The very model of a modern major general
+794|6655|United States of America

Dauntless wrote:

DesertFox- wrote:

I don't know if I'm reading the information in the OP article and its source correctly, but it sounds like they're including all workers, even part time workers in their numbers, which will undoubtedly drag your average downwards.
Why wouldn't you incluse them? They're still Americans workers?
It's not about the average wage, 51% of workers earn less than $30,000.

In fact if you include all working age Americans it's likely a lot worse than 51% if the numbers are correct

And of course the numbers above are only for those that are actually working.  As I discussed just recently, there are 7.9 million working age Americans that are “officially unemployed” right now and another 94.7 million working age Americans that are considered to be “not in the labor force”.  When you add those two numbers together, you get a grand total of 102.6 million working age Americans that do not have a job right now.
You can include them as part of the data, but it's disingenuous to include them if you're trying to show the average wage of the working-class schmo is a pittance because of course it's going to drag that average down unless you adjusted it to reflect what that would be full-time. I am also all too aware that some people are working part time because they can't find full-time employment, but part-time wages aren't exactly rolling in dough. They're all on the lower end of the spectrum and include more of the high school kids and old folks than full-time work does.
DrunkFace
Germans did 911
+427|6652|Disaster Free Zone

Jay wrote:

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

It's sad that getting paid over $50K/year puts you in the top 30% of wage earners in the US.
You have a radically different cost of living compared to people not living on the coast
What does this even mean?
And how is it relevant?
Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|6687

DrunkFace wrote:

Jay wrote:

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

It's sad that getting paid over $50K/year puts you in the top 30% of wage earners in the US.
You have a radically different cost of living compared to people not living on the coast
What does this even mean?
And how is it relevant?
youre not looking at accurate labour hour figures if you are purely comparing nominal terms.
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Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5329|London, England

DrunkFace wrote:

Jay wrote:

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

It's sad that getting paid over $50K/year puts you in the top 30% of wage earners in the US.
You have a radically different cost of living compared to people not living on the coast
What does this even mean?
And how is it relevant?
I can buy a 3 bedroom house in Texas or the Midwest for less than $100,000. Here or in California, that house costs at least $500,000 and our property taxes are tens of thousands more per year. A family making $50,000 per year can survive quite comfortably when they're only paying $800 per month rather than the $4,000 I'm paying. Gas, food and utilities tend to be cheaper in those areas as well.

This is why I always say absolute wealth values are meaningless statistics.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
KEN-JENNINGS
I am all that is MOD!
+2,973|6602|949

Jay wrote:

DrunkFace wrote:

Jay wrote:


You have a radically different cost of living compared to people not living on the coast
What does this even mean?
And how is it relevant?
I can buy a 3 bedroom house in Texas or the Midwest for less than $100,000. Here or in California, that house costs at least $500,000 and our property taxes are tens of thousands more per year. A family making $50,000 per year can survive quite comfortably when they're only paying $800 per month rather than the $4,000 I'm paying. Gas, food and utilities tend to be cheaper in those areas as well.

This is why I always say absolute wealth values are meaningless statistics.
My friends just purchased an 1800 sq. ft. home that needs about $100K in work done to it.  The purchase price was $720K.
RTHKI
mmmf mmmf mmmf
+1,736|6708|Oxferd Ohire
My friend is looking at a 1600 sq ft for 140k in northern kentucky.
https://i.imgur.com/tMvdWFG.png
Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5329|London, England

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

Jay wrote:

DrunkFace wrote:


What does this even mean?
And how is it relevant?
I can buy a 3 bedroom house in Texas or the Midwest for less than $100,000. Here or in California, that house costs at least $500,000 and our property taxes are tens of thousands more per year. A family making $50,000 per year can survive quite comfortably when they're only paying $800 per month rather than the $4,000 I'm paying. Gas, food and utilities tend to be cheaper in those areas as well.

This is why I always say absolute wealth values are meaningless statistics.
My friends just purchased an 1800 sq. ft. home that needs about $100K in work done to it.  The purchase price was $720K.
I hope he has a water view
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3690
Does anyone have a solution to raise the average wage?
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Steve-0
Karma limited. Contact Admin to Be Promoted.
+214|3930|SL,UT

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DrunkFace
Germans did 911
+427|6652|Disaster Free Zone
Congressmen could earn nothing but the bribes of rich business owners and they wouldn't give a shit.
Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5329|London, England

SuperJail Warden wrote:

Does anyone have a solution to raise the average wage?
Sure, everyone negotiates with their boss for a raise, just like every other day.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
RTHKI
mmmf mmmf mmmf
+1,736|6708|Oxferd Ohire
what about a real solution
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SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3690

RTHKI wrote:

what about a real solution
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg

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